Comer pistache diminui risco de câncer

Pistachios cut cancer risk

(NaturalNews) Making pistachios a regular part of your diet could reduce
your risk of cancer, according to a study conducted by researchers from
the University of Texas and Texas Women’ University, and presented at
the American Association for Cancer Research’s Frontiers in Cancer
Prevention Research Conference in Houston.

Pistachios are known
to be high in a form of vitamin E known as gamma-tocopherol, which has
been linked to a lower risk of some cancers.

"It is known that
vitamin E provides a degree of protection against certain forms of
cancer. Higher intakes of gamma-tocopherol … may reduce the risk of
lung cancer," researcher Ladia M. Hernandez said.

Researchers
conducted the study on 36 participants who were either told to keep
eating their normal diets or to eat their normal diets plus two ounces
(about 117 kernels) of pistachios per day. After four weeks,
participants who were eating pistachios daily had significantly higher
levels of gamma-tocopherol in their blood than those who were not eating
the nuts.

The researchers noted that like all nuts, pistachios
are high in fat. However, they can be very healthy in reasonable
quantities.

"Pistachios are one of those ‘good-for-you’ nuts, and
two ounces per day could be incorporated into dietary strategies
designed to reduce the risk of lung cancer without significant changes
in body mass index," Hernandez said. "Other food sources that are a rich
source of gamma-tocopherol include nuts such as peanuts, pecans,
walnuts, soybean, and corn oils."

Nuts such as pistachios are
also high in antioxidants, which can help lower cholesterol and stave
off chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease and dementia, in
addition to cancer. The fats from nuts are believed to be much healthier
than those from animal products, and have been proffered as an
explanation for why the "Mediterranean diet" appears to reduce the risk
of heart disease even though it is relatively high in fats from olive
oil, nuts and moderate amounts of dairy.